50 Cent Confirmed to Play Balrog in Upcoming Street Fighter Movie Adaptation
- Sagar Mankar
- 2 hours ago
- 2 min read
Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson has reportedly joined the cast of the upcoming Street Fighter movie, taking on the role of Balrog, the hard-hitting boxer with a brutal past. The news, which started as a rumor reported by Nexus Point News, was confirmed by 50 Cent himself in a recent Instagram post.
For those who aren’t deep into Street Fighter lore, Balrog first appeared in Street Fighter II: The World Warrior. He’s a disgraced boxing champ from Las Vegas who was kicked out of the sport for violent conduct and shady tactics. After his fall from grace, Balrog found a new home working as a brutal enforcer for Shadaloo, the criminal organization run by M. Bison. With 50 Cent’s tough persona and acting experience, he seems like a natural fit for the role.
Jackson has been steadily building his Hollywood resume. After breaking into the music industry in the early 2000s with his hit album Get Rich or Die Tryin’, he jumped into acting with a film of the same name. He’s since taken on various roles in movies like Home of the Brave and Righteous Kill, but he’s perhaps most recognized these days for producing and starring in the Power TV franchise.
The Street Fighter film is being developed by Legendary Pictures alongside Capcom and will be released by Sony Pictures—although it currently doesn’t have a set release date after being taken off Sony’s schedule. Kitao Sakurai (Bad Trip) is in the director’s chair, and the script is being handled by Dalan Musson (Captain America: Brave New World).
The cast list is shaping up to be pretty exciting. Andrew Koji and Noah Centineo will play iconic martial artists Ryu and Ken, Jason Momoa is stepping in as Blanka, Roman Reigns is set to play Akuma, and country singer Orville Peck has been cast as Vega. According to Deadline, actress Callina Liang has also signed on to play Chun-Li, one of the franchise’s most iconic characters.
The Street Fighter franchise has remained a staple of the fighting game genre for decades, and the most recent title, Street Fighter 6, has already sold over 5 million copies since its 2023 release. With a cast this stacked and a fanbase this loyal, the live-action adaptation could have some real knockout potential—assuming it lives up to the hype.